NSW Cup grand final: Star-studded South Sydney Rabbitohs Chasing First Title In 40 years
They are the squad of licorice allsorts, with the oldest member being twice as old as the youngest player on their roster. Now, after starting the season in 11th place, the Rabbitohs have advanced to the grand final of the NSW Cup. This is the plan they have for trying to make history this weekend.
As the Rabbitohs look to win the NSW Cup for the first time in almost four decades, there is a certain something extra-ordinary about the atmosphere in Redfern.
South Sydney is trying to win its first championship since 1983 when it takes on a North Sydney Bears team that has not tasted victory since 1993. This matchup will be a battle of the droughts.
When the Souths were in 11th place at the conclusion of round 13, it was exceedingly improbable that they would even make it to this point in the season. However, they went on to win 11 of their last 13 games, which allowed them to complete the regular season in second place.
The ability of the team to maintain their cohesiveness as a unit was singled out for appreciation by head coach Joe O'Callaghan despite the fact that they got off to a rather sluggish start to the season.
"There has never been a problem with morale among us. It's one of the aspects of this organization that I've come to genuinely appreciate. He stated that they take pleasure in one another's company.
"It's something that we've tried to concentrate on over the whole year. When we are working together, regardless of the level of our contracts, we are doing so for the same reason.
"Throughout the course of the year, we've been doing a decent job with that, but over the course of the past two and a half months, we've taken it to the next level.
The last time we participated in a reserve grade grand final was in the year 1983.
"We haven't really discussed the matter in great detail. In my experience, there is a possibility of cooking it for too long.
"We were aware of it prior to the beginning of the championship series, but we haven't discussed it since then. We've been taking things one week at a time, and our main priority right now is making memories with this group.
In addition to Tyrone Munro, 18, the club's youngest member, the oldest player, Yileen 'Buddy' Gordon, is 40.
Gordon has been loyal to the Rabbitohs since his youth, but he also played for the Bears in their most recent appearance in the NSW Cup final.
Gordon and a slew of other Rabbitohs stalwarts, notably David Peachey and Joe Williams, played in the 20-15 loss to the Eels that season. Souths and Norths were affiliated that year.
Reserve quality is defined by a blend like that. In this respect, O'Callaghan cited Yileen as an excellent illustration.
Both Brock Gray and Jacob Gagai have a significant amount of experience competing at this level. Some players, such as Blake Taaffe, Peter Mamuzelos, and Dean Hawkins, are utilizing this as a stepping stone to get more playing time in the NRL.
"Tyrone and Tallis Duncan have both played in the National Rugby League, and this game has the potential to be the most important of their entire careers, despite the fact that they have just begun."
O'Callaghan paid special attention to the influence that players like Duncan and Munro have been able to bring back to the side after making their first grade debuts this season. In particular, O'Callaghan praised the contributions that Duncan and Munro have been able to make.
He replied, "Confidence is up when they come back," and he was right.
That's what happened with Tallis. Before making his NRL debut, he was a star in Cup and a regular for a few weeks. His return match was a crucial semifinal, and he performed admirably.
Another one is Shaq (Mitchell). He had a strong showing in first grade for a strong block.
Tyrone is unfazed by anything. In one season, he competed in SG Ball, Flegg, Cup, and NRL. That's an unbelievable amount of accomplishments to achieve in one year. He won't be intimidated by it.
O'Callaghan has expressed hope that his team can make history by winning their 21st reserve grade title. If they do so, they will advance to the NRL State Championship to face the Easts Tigers.
That is the incentive for each of the teams. Both of us are playing for the chance to be on the big stage, so our goal isn't simply to win the NSW Cup," he explained. "We're not just trying to win the cup."
"That kind of exposure is priceless. To be able to get there on that day, whether they are players already in the system wanting to demonstrate to Jason Demetriou that they should be playing more NRL or players who aren't full time but are searching for those opportunities.
"You can send YouTube clips and resumes, but you won't get any better exposure than this." "You can't get any better exposure than this."